Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales, February 2017

Sales The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for February, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,360.7 billion, up 0.2 percent (±0.2 percent)* from January 2017 and was up 7.1 percent (±0.4 percent) from February 2016.

Inventories Manufacturers’ and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,839.9 billion, up 0.3 percent (±0.1 percent) from January 2017 and were up 2.8 percent (±0.3 percent) from February 2016.

Inventories/Sales Ratio The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of February was 1.35. The February 2016 ratio was 1.41.

Intention to Revise: Revisions to the Wholesale estimates for sales and inventories were released on March 24, 2017 and are reflected in this release. Revisions to the Retail estimates will be released on April 26, 2017 and will be reflected in the March 2017 MTIS release scheduled for May 12, 2017. Revised historical data from the Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3) Survey will be issued on May 18, 2017 and will be reflected in the April 2017 MTIS release scheduled for June 14, 2017.

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